Black Hairstyles Gallery

2 months after 1st bc - 7/98 a month after 2nd bc - 6/99 i rock ruff and stuff...! - 8/01 strawset - 2/02 fancy free - 9/05 puff the magic dragon - 7/07 whirlpool bun - 3/08 boxbraid bun - 10/08 puff daddy - 10/08 how big it gets...1/09 for you l :) - 4/09 twistie bun - 4/09 funky pinup - 4/09

when did you go natural and why? I remember seeing pictures of myself when I was little with natural hair - my hair was hanging down my back! I set it as my goal to get there once again; learning to take care of my hair in its natural state and further being able to care for the hair of my future daughters (should I be blessed to have one someday). what products/ingredients do you use? why? My hair and scalp can get very dry and after much trial and error, I eventually found out how well it took to shea and lots and lots of water. I love Ashea Shea Butter Pomade, and Oyin Handmade Whipped Pudding and Whipped Shea Butter. I generally seal with unrefined coconut oil and my hair ends up smelling like a wonderful Mounds Bar. :) My hair is happiest in the humid DC summers and my texture really pops then. I'm playing it smart this winter and keeping my hair in protective styles like two-strand twists and box braids, taking it out only every couple weekends to wash with Head and Sho...

i also saw that twists don't really work for you as a protective style. that's interesting because they are a go-to style for so many naturals. why don't they work? and what do you do instead? Twists don't work for me because of the texture and thickness of my hair. My hair is thin (compared to most naturals) in my opinion. Also, the texture causes the twists to unravel too quickly. I like twists that look full and thick. On me, it makes me look like a little girl with plaits. With my line of work (a school teacher), it doesn't look to professional walking around looking like a little girl. Instead, I do a lot of pony-puffs, but unlike it the summer, I don't wash it as often and detangle it a lot less. Right now, I'm wearing a sew-in similar to my natural texture because of the cold. My hair grew a lot last time I did it and it is perfect for the cold weather. I also like the fact that no one knows it's a weave (even my husband was fooled). I get so many...

A nice short-term protective style. Lina, the architect of this style (and featured in the photo), wrote this how-to: "The pinned up twists were pretty easy. - I parted the hair down the middle and from ear to ear -- I did it with my fingers, but you can make an off center part and ear-to-ear part with your comb or rattail. - moisturize with creme of choice. I used shea butter and a little conditioner-- and apply to each section.. -make 4 big two-strand twists (make sure they are a little less firm at the scalp so you can pin them back)/ - Pin the front two back, fasten with a bobby pin, then pin the back to up towards the center. They should angle in like an X. I used two bobby pins for the center. the hair may need to use more pins if the length is very different between front and back.."

twist out flat-ironed bang pretty puff